Bomb-shield for battleships.



J. A. STEINMETZ.

BOMB SHIELD FOR BATTLESHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. so, 191s.

'1142. Vs. ya,

J. A. STEINMETZ.

BOMB SHIELD FOB. BATTLESHIPS.

APPLIOATION FILED APB. so, 191s.

1 1 0 1,580. Patented June 30, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

coLuMBIA PIJNOGRA?" co.. WASHINGTON. D, c.

JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOMB-SHIELD FOR BATTLESHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1914.

Application filed April 30, 1913. Serial No. 764,513.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Bomb- Shields for Battleships, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for protecting battleships from bombs dropped from aeroplanes and particularly for preventing the dropping of bombs into the smokestacks, which are the most vulnerable points of attack by such means, a chief aim of an attack being to destroy the ship by dropping a bomb into the stack thereof.

My invention comprises a peculiar iiexible shield extending outwardly and downwardly from the masts of the ship so as to cover its stack or stacks and the equipment.

Preferably the shield consists of an elastic metal construction adapted to be folded, when not required for protection, so as not to interfere with operations upon the ship, and to be expanded so as to provide an effective shield when protection from falling missles is required, without interference with the operation of the ship or its guns.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a starboard elevation of a battleship having my improvements applied thereto;-Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the bow of a ship having my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the bow of a ship having a modified form of my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View in illustration of details of my improvements.

The ship 1 has the elastic open work shield sections 2 joined together along the line 2 and connected with the masts 3 above the stacks 42 the sections extending downwardly and outwardly over the ventilators 5, davits 6, boats 7 and guns 8 to connections with the outer ends of the booms 9 which are hinged on bearings 10 fixed to the deck 11. Shield sections 12, connected on the respective lines 12, extend from connections with the respective masts 3 and the ends of sections 2 downwardly and outwardly to connections with the booms 13, hinged on bearings 14 ixed to the decks at the bow and stern of the ship, which decks, as well as the guns 15 and 16, are protected thereby. Sheaves 17, supported at the juncture of the net sections, sheaves 18 supported at the outer ends of the booms 9, and sheaves 20 supported on the deck2 have rove therethrough a line or rope 21 by which the booms 9 are swung in and the shield sections folded when not in use.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the vessel 1 has the shield sections 2 connected with the mast 3 and with the upper extremities of the davits 6, sections 12 of the shield being connected with the boom 13 as previously described.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a ship having one or more masts, one or more stacks, and one or more booms, of a shield extending from said mast or masts over said stack or stacks to said boom or booms.

2. The combination of a ship having a mast, a stack and lateral and end booms, with a shield having sections drawn from said mast to said booms, said stack being covered by said shield.

3. The combination with a ship having a mast, a stack, and hinged booms, of a shield extending from said mast to said booms over said stack, and means for folding said shield.

4. The combination with a ship having a mast, a stack, and hinged booms, of a shield extending from said mast to said booms over said stack, and means comprising sheaves and ropes rove therethrough for folding said shield.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of April, 1913, in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ.

Witnesses:

Jos. G. DENNY, Jr., Gno. A. CUNNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

uffi 

